Personal Support System for a Mobile Electronic Device

ABSTRACT

A personal support system for a mobile electronic device includes a strap to be worn around the neck of the user and a holder for the device which includes an arrangement for securing the holder to each end of the strap. The holder is adjustable to receive and hold devices of varying sizes.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention which is the subject matter of this application for apatent is to a personal support system for a mobile electronic devicesuch as a cell phone, notebook, iPod or the like. The system includes astrap adapted to be worn around the neck of the user, and a deviceholder which is detachably connected to both ends of the strap.

2. Description of Related Art

U.S. Pat. No. 7,416,099 discloses a neck strap for a mobile electronicdevice that includes a compartment for wires attached to ear plugs. Theelectronic device is attached to a connector 3 which is connected to aflexible loop 2. The details of construction for the connector are notdisclosed. U.S. Pat. No. 7,174,196 discloses a strap which also includesa compartment for the ear plug wires. The electronic device is securedto the strap via a connecting string. U.S. Pat. No. 7,458,489 disclosesa carrying assembly for a mobile electronic device that includes acarrying assembly for clipping the device to a user's belt or waist ofthe user's pants. The carrying assembly has a fixed geometry so that itis not adjustable to accommodate different sized electronic devices. Thecarrying assembly also requires a locking button that is permanentlysecured to the electronic device.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is for a personal support system for a mobileelectronic device that includes an adjustable holder for the device suchthat it is adaptable for different size devices. A neck strap attachesto either side of the holder so that in use when the device is supportedby the neck strap, the device is conveniently located above a user'swaist so that it can be easily held and manipulated as necessary. Theuser can easily grasp the device and rotate it so that the fingeroperated controls and any display screen is visible to the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the holder for the mobile electronicdevice.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the holderaccording to the invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the inventionshowing the neck portion of the holder.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the strap connections of the embodimentof FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of an additional embodiment of thestrap connection to the holder shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the strap shown in FIG. 14 is asecond operating position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, the personal support system 10 of the inventionincludes a u-shaped flexible strap having portions 11, 12, 13 and 14adapted to fit around the neck of a user. Portions 11 and 14 may bepadded with an additional padding layer 15 at the portion of the strapthat engages the user's neck. Lower portions 12 and 13 are tubular so asto receive the ear plug wires 25. A zipper 26 and 27 is provided ontubular portion 13 for access to the interior of the tubular strapportion. Ear plug wires 25 extend through tubular portion 13 and thenexit portion 14 via an aperture 29. Individual earphone wires 24separate from wire 25 at 18 and are connected to earphones 23. A clip 28may be used to secure earphone wire 25 to the upper portion 14 of thestrap.

An attachment strap 16 is secured to the lower end of strap portions 12and 13 as shown in FIG. 1. Each attachment strap 16 has a strip ofdetachable material such as hooks or loops 21.

An embodiment of a holder 30 for the mobile electronic device is shownin FIGS. 1, 2 and 11. The holder comprises a flexible strip of material38 having a u-shaped profile as shown in FIG. 11. A strip of detachablematerial such as hooks or loops 39 is secured to flexible strip 38. Atone end of strip 38, a second flat strip of detachable material 34 isprovided having detachable material on the inside of the flat strip. Inthis manner, the flexible strap can be placed around the periphery ofthe electronic device in a tight holding fashion as the hooks and loopson surfaces 34 and 36 engage each other.

With the adjustable holder 30 positioned around and holding theelectronic device, attachment straps can now be connected to the sides36 of holder 30 so that the assembly can now be placed around the usersneck with the mobile electronic device suspended from strap portions 12and 13 approximately at the users chest.

FIG. 3 is an embodiment of the invention similar to FIG. 3. The upperportions 11 and 14 of the strap are formed as tubulars with an internalchamber through which the earphone wires pass. Earphone wire 25 exitsthrough a hole 16 provided in the upper portion 15 of the strap. Theconstruction is otherwise the same as the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 illustrates a second embodiment for the holder of the mobileelectronic device according to the invention. According to thisembodiment, the holder includes a sheet of flexible material which maybe transparent. The flexible material includes a cover flap portion 52,a front face 55, and rear wall 56, a top portion 58 and a bottom portion57. The material is formed so as to create an internal cavity suitablefor receiving the mobile electronic device.

A strip of an attachment material 53 having complimentary attachmentmeans such as hooks and loops is secured to the flexible material alongits sides as shown in FIG. 5. In this manner, cover flap can be securedto front face 55 forming the pocket for the mobile electronic device.Also, strips 53 permit the lower ends 16 of the strips 12 and 13 to bereleasably attached to holder 51.

In this embodiment the electronic device is positioned in a “landscape”orientation with the major axis of the electronic device in a horizontalorientation. In this situation, the user may hold the sides of theholder with his/her fingers and rotate the holder upwards so as to viewthe top screen of the electronic device through flap 55 and front fact55.

As shown in FIG. 12, strips 53 may comprise a first band 81 having loopson its outer surface and a second band 82 having hooks on its outersurface with flap 52 located between them. Bands 81 and 82 are securedto flap 52 as shown in FIG. 12.

Another embodiment of applicant's invention is disclosed in FIGS. 6-10.In this embodiment the neck strap 61 is formed by a long and narrowpiece of material for example cloth or leather that is folded at 75 toform a front portion 63 and a back portion 62. Complementary attachmentstrips 67 are secured on the inner surfaces of portions 62 and 63 toform an inner space adapted to receive ear plugs 25. A zipper 83 islocated at the neck portion of the strap 61 to provide access to chamber84. Zipper 83 includes zipper tracks on support fabric 72 which is sewedinto strap fabric 73.

Holder 80 of the embodiment of FIG. 7 is shown in more detail in FIG. 6and is similar to that shown in FIG. 5 but in a vertical orientation asopposed to a horizontal orientation. As shown in FIG. 6, holder 80includes a flexible sheet of material 65 that may be transparent. Sheet65 is folded so as to form an interior chamber 68 for receiving themobile electronic device. The interior chamber is formed by frontportion 84, rear portion 85 and side portions 87 and 86. A flap portion88 extends over rear portion 83.

Complimentary attachment straps 66 and 67 are secured to flap 88 andrear portion 85 of holder 80 back at the top and bottom so that flap 88overlaps rear wall 85 to form compartment 68. Likewise one or moreattachment straps 91 are located on the back portion of flap 88 toengage complimentary attachment straps 64 attached to neck strap 61. Atab 69 can be positioned to extend between the front and rear wallportions of the holder at a bottom location as sown in FIG. 7 to preventthe mobile electronic device from falling through chamber 68. Thus strap61 can be placed around the neck of a user with holder 80, carrying theelectronic mobile device, attached thereto as shown in FIG. 7.

A further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 12-15. The topor neck portion of the apparatus 100 includes a pouch 101 having asupport 122 around which ear plug wire 104 can be wound. Top portion 100also includes a foldable piece of material having two portions 102 and103 and a fold line 104. A surface of portion 103 has an elongatedattachment strip 115 as shown in FIG. 13 which cooperates withcomplimentary attachment strips 114 located at the top portion offlexible straps 112 and 113 so that the straps 112 and 113 arereleasably attached to neck portion 100. Straps 112 and 113 have anattachment strips 120 on an surface thereof which cooperates with acomplimentary attachment strip 121 and 116 on portion 102 so that straps113 and 114 can be releasably attached to strip 115 and then portion 102can be folded along fold line 104 so that attachment strips 121 and 116mate with strips 120 to securely but releasably capture straps 112 and113 within neck portion 100 as shown in FIG. 12. Pouch 101 may alsoinclude a zipper 123 as shown in FIG. 12.

The lower portions of straps 113 and 112 include a first attachmentstrip 131 and a second attachment strip 132 on one side of the strap 113so that the electronic device holder 80 can be attached to strap 113 viaattachment strip 119 at different locations along the strap.

If attachment strap 131 is utilized as shown in FIG. 14, then strap 113is folded as shown at 118 and attachment strips 133 and 134 can besecured to complimentary attachment strip 139 provided on a second sideof strap 113. Thus the position of the electronic device can be adjustedrelative to the chest of the user by selecting attachment strips 131 or132 for connection to the holder 80.

As in the previous embodiment, the attachment strips can be of strips ofhook or loop material commonly known as Velcro.

Although the present invention has been described with respect tospecific details, it is not intended that such details should beregarded as limitations on the scope of the invention, except to theextent that they are included in the accompanying claims.

I claim:
 1. Apparatus for supporting a mobile electronic device aroundthe neck of a user comprising: a flexible strap adapted to be positionedaround the neck of a user, the strap having first and second ends; firstmeans for securing the strap to a holder for the device, said meansbeing located at the first and second ends of the strap; a holder forcarrying the mobile electronic device, the holder capable of encirclingthe device; and second means on the holder engaging the first means forsecuring the strap to the holder for suspending the device around theneck of a user.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first andsecond means include hook and loop elements respectively.
 3. Apparatusas claimed in claim 1 wherein the holder includes a band of flexiblematerial.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the band offlexible material includes a generally flat portion and two extendingside portions that form a u-shaped channel in which the perimeter of thedevice is adapted to be located.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3wherein the band includes an aperture for allowing an ear plug setconnector to be connected to the mobile electronic device.
 6. Apparatusas claimed in claim 5 wherein the strap has an interior chamber forreceiving ear plug wires and an exit aperture for the wires. 7.Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the holder includes a flexiblesheet of material bent so as to form a compartment for holding themobile electronic device.
 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein theholder further includes a front portion, a rear portion, a top portionand a bottom portion and a flap overlying the front portion, whereby theholder can be rotated to a generally horizontal position and a topscreen of the electronic device is visible to the user.
 9. Apparatus asclaimed in claim 8 wherein the flexible sheet of material istransparent.
 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the holder isformed from a folded flexible sheet so as to include side walls, frontand rear walls thereby forming a compartment having an open top andbottom.
 11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein a tab extendsbetween the front and rear walls at a location near the bottom of thecompartment to keep the mobile electronic device from falling throughthe compartment in use.
 12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 furtherincluding a neck portion including a pouch for storing for an earphoneassembly.
 13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the flexiblestrap includes two straps, each strap having a first end secured to theholder and a second end releasably attached to the neck portion. 14.Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein the second end of each strapincludes a plurality of attachment means for attaching the electronicdevice holder to different vertical locations on the second end of eachstrap.